?A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF SELECTED AFRICAN EDIBLE OILS AND THEIR POTEN- TIAL DOMESTIC AND INDUSTRIAL ApPLICATIONS

Abstract

A comparative study on the physical and chemical characteristics. Melon seed oil (Colocynthis Citrullus L.), African oil
bean oil (Penta celethra, macrophylla) and Avocado pear oil (Perse, Americana) was undertaken to assess their potential
domestic and industrial applications. This study focussed on the percentage oil content, individual odour (aroma), specific
gravity, refractive index, relative viscosities, smoke points, acid values, free fatty acid contents (%), iodine values, and
ester values. The iodine values obtained for these oils were: 151.72 (melon seed); 113.00 (African oil bean oil); 43.30
(Avocado oil). The same oils showed free fatty acid contents as 2.38%; 0.97% and 0.37% respectively, whereas acid
values recorded were 4.76 (melon); 1.65 (African oil bean oil) and 0.82 (Avocado pear oil).The saponification values were
197.56 (melon), 185.08 (African oil bean oil) and 246.70 (Avocado pear oil) and the individual Ester values were 192.81
(melon), 183.63 (African oil bean oil) and 241.50 (Avocado per oil). Melon seed, African oil bean seed and Avocado pear
gave 57.40%; 42.07% and 15.13% of oil following the extraction procedures outlined in the project.The potential domes-
tic and industrial applications of the oils under study have been discussed in line with their physical and chemical charac-
teristics.